Sec. 2. Findings
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Congress finds that: Approximately 28,000,000 people of the United States are afflicted with hearing loss, and it has been estimated that 10,000,000 of these hearing impairments are at least partially attributable to damage from exposure to noise. For millions of people of the United States, noise from aircraft, vehicular traffic, and a variety of other sources is a constant source of torment. Millions of people of the United States are exposed to noise levels that can lead to sleep loss, psychological and physiological damage, and work disruption.
Chronic exposure to noise has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, learning deficits in children, stress, and a diminished quality of life. Sleep deprivation and task interruptions caused by excessive noise can result in untold costs to society through diminished worker productivity. Under the Clean Air Act ( 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. ), the Noise Control Act of 1972 ( 42 U.S.C. 4901 et seq. ), and the Quiet Communities Act of 1978 ( Public Law 95–609 ; 92 Stat. 3079), the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency established an Office of Noise Abatement and Control.
Before the termination of the Office, the duties of the Office included— the promulgation of noise emission standards; the enforcement of relevant product labeling requirements; the facilitation of the development of low emission products; the coordination of Federal noise reduction programs; the provision of assistance to State and local abatement efforts; and the promotion of noise education and research. Funding for the Office was terminated in 1982 and no funds have been provided since that year.
Noise abatement programs throughout the United States lie dormant because— funding for the enforcement of regulations promulgated under the Noise Control Act of 1972 ( 42 U.S.C. 4901 et seq. ) was terminated, although the Administrator remains legally responsible for the enforcement of the regulations; and the Noise Control Act of 1972 ( 42 U.S.C. 4901 et seq. ) prohibits State and local governments from regulating noise sources in many situations. As population growth and air and vehicular traffic continue to increase, noise pollution is likely to become an even greater problem in the future.
The health and welfare of the people of the United States demands that the Administrator, as the head of the lead Federal agency for the protection of public health and welfare, once again assume a role in combating noise pollution.
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- Pub. L. 95-609
- 92 Stat. 3079
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